The team at Synapse is out to strengthen and simplify IoT deployments by bringing tools and APIs to product developers and systems integrators who can accelerate their industrial, healthcare, automotive, smart home, smart city and smart everything solutions – finally unlocking the mega-multi-billion dollar promise we’ve been reading about for years.
As a solution architect within Synapse Wireless’ core IoT team, Jonathan Heath brings clarity to his work not often found in an industry where shiny objects are everywhere. “In the rush to bring IoT technologies to market, the industry lost focus on the basics – developing, deploying and managing the “things” themselves. With expertise in RF local networking and extensions of their wireless connectivity into a Platform for Things called SNAP, the company is working with service providers and systems integrators by offering their developers components (including RF modules and Linux-based gateways) and software (including flexible APIs that feed data into third party systems and clouds) to facilitate the easy flow of data and control.
“We work with great companies like AWS and ThingWorx that have mastered the cloud, IBM which has built its tremendous BlueMix platform, leading distributors like Arrow Electronics, and service providers that are experts in vertical industries like Industrial monitoring – providing them the best possible components, software and APIs, while staying focused on the important role we play. We’re the cool kid with the new haircut that came to the dance with no date, and so far we’ve been asked to do a lot of dancing – which we’re very excited about.” Heath said.
An Illuminating Solution
The company has, however, rolled out a solution for intelligent lighting controls, as more than a proof-of-concept. Through a series of strong industry alliances, the company developed a suite of products that turn smart lighting installations into nearly turn-key events. With features including automated response to preset conditions, and a dashboard enabling data-driven decision making, Heath explained that the beauty of their “first born” packaged solution is that it runs on the epicenter of all Thing Platforms, which is SNAP.
“A wireless lighting implementation lends to a variety of other opportunities as well – once deployed, additional ‘things’ can be added to the same network backbone,” Heath explained. “The added ROI gained after the initial return (due to the energy savings) becomes very interesting.”
Edge Control Enthusiasts
There are a number of components in the toolkit Synapse offers, which make control possible. Control means not only collecting information but making it possible to act on that information (example: increase lighting at night, decrease lighting during the day). These devices do more than just sense – they are actually microcomputers that control events in real time at the very edge, while integrating with either Synapse’s own gateways or others. Or as Synapse has coined it, it’s a sense and respond network.
While Synapse uses Linux and builds APIs, the company is not exactly “open source” – it only takes advantage of open source creativity and economics. “We’re active in many technology and partner ecosystems,” Heath said, “but we’re equally as active working with standards bodies. The industry is still in its early stages of the overall IoT evolution, and new protocols are sprouting up all over the place. We really enjoy helping to shape part of that community, and establish a foundation that is versatile yet collaborative.”
See SNAP in Action at IOT Evolution
Synapse will be showcasing an onsite demonstration in collaboration with their customer, Sigma Automation at the 16th IoT Evolution Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, July 11 – 14th in Las Vegas. Sigma is a Texas based manufacturer of equipment specializing in ensuring quality, traceability and safety in food processing. Their wireless solutions are based on the SNAP development platform which enables Sigma to offer wide array of smart, flexible technologies to the manufacturing markets .
Synapse and Sigma will be exhibiting in booth 513 at next weeks’ event.
Synapse leaders will also be featured in key sessions, including Demystifying the complex: How to create new business models and realize value from the Industrial IoT through platform collaboration on Tuesday, July 12 (featuring Johnny Thorington) and Lighting Controls: The Gateway to Smart Infrastructure (featuring Kathryn Caspar).
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
